Molding technologies that utilize the characteristics of plastics
Heat resistance, airtightness, chemical resistance, strength and impact resistance - the functions and characteristics that are required of containers are many and various. These days, it is important to choose the optimum material for the type of usage, function and filling requirements of the container. Even containers that previously needed to be made of glass, because of its chemical resistant properties, are increasingly being replaced by safer plastics as more high performance plastic materials are being developed. Stable container molding is now possible with plastics such as PET, PC, PP, HDPE, HIPS, PEN, PE and PA that have varying characteristics. Aoki’s unique Direct Heatcon Molding System provides this flexible response through a single-stage system that enables finished containers to be molded directly from the raw material.
Materials with different characteristics able to be molded on a single machine
In order to mold containers from a range of resins with different characteristics, the molding technology used during injection molding and blow molding must be suited to the particular plastic material being used. Aoki’s Direct Heatcon Molding System is a single-stage system that molds preforms and blows containers at the same time. Preforms are blow molded immediately after being injection molded, without first having to completely cool down and harden. The Reheat Molding System on the other hand completely cools down the preforms and then reheats them before blow molding, so specialized reheating zone equipment is required. The Aoki molding system offers a more flexible approach to container production when using more than one type of material.
Case Study: High density polyethylene (HDPE) container molding
In the past, it was only possible to mold HDPE containers using extrusion blow or injection blow molding machines, but these containers are now also possible on Aoki injection stretch-blow molding machines. Compared to the other molding technologies, Aoki has succeeded in developing machines that offer many benefits.
Molded product advantages
・High precision neck molding
・Preform lightweighting possible
・Almost no contaminants
・High reliability sealing
・No pinholes
Molding advantages
・Extremely stable production
・Trimming (flash removal) not required
・Molding adjustments not required during start-up
・Short time to start molding
・Small amount of purged material
